History Minute The changing mascots of Arkansas teamsImagine a time when Arkansas called the Cardinals and Arkansas State University cheered on the Gorillas. This is part of the colorful story of college mascots in Arkansas. While the University of Arkansas was organized in 1871, it was several years before competitive sports began. The earliest records indicate that students organized the first football team in 1894, with the official colors as white and cardinal red. The Cardinal nickname spre...

Letter to the Editor: Retail recruitersI read the article in the Courier this morning concerning the hiring of two retail recruiters to tell our City how to bring more retailers to our community. I was astonished that we would consider paying over $58,000.00 for this advice when we have a good Chamber of Commerce and Arkansas Tech University Business Department. These two entities would be happy to discuss the possibility of assisting the City, I am certain. Then, we have lots of c...

His glorious titleA couple weeks ago my mom told me the news: an uncle of mine was moving back to Iowa. He’s apparently done well in the corporation he’s worked for the past couple decades. The head noticed, and asked him to consider moving to take a position with increased responsibility. Of course, that also means he’ll have some great, new job title. Roughly 20 men and women would like American voters to do much the same for them come next November. Each of ...

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BY REV. NICHOLAS DAVELAARThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Club News (Aug. 16, 2015)Pope County Retired Teachers’ Association club news The Pope County Retired Teachers’ Association (PCRT) met at 9:30 a.m. Thur. May 21 at the Brookside Retirement Residence for refreshments and social time. The business meeting began at 10 a.m. President Katherine Teeter called the meeting to order and Olin Cook gave the opening prayer. A welcome was extended to all with a special recognition of first time attendees, Lee and Elizabeth Hopkins ...

History Minute: Ray Winder of the Arkansas TravelersBaseball has been called the national pastime by fans and writers alike. Minor League Baseball in Arkansas owes its existence to Ray Winder, the longtime general manager and part owner of the Arkansas Travelers. Winder was born in Indiana and was a baseball fan his entire life. In 1915, Winder was hired by the Little Rock Travelers as a ticket seller. The team had originally formed in 1901, only to shut down in 1909. They were attempting to re...

Letter to the Editor: There’s still good newsMy husband and I began a two to four week trip from Russellville, AR, to a farthermost point of Hope, Idaho, on July 29, 2015. Our first stop was at Vic’s 66 in Henryetta; only about 160 miles into our trip. Outside Oklahoma City (120 miles away) my husband, a Vietnam veteran, realized he had left his wallet (with Vietnam campaign ribbon on it) at the Vic’s Station. No phone number was listed on the receipt for the Vic’s Station but a gentlema...

Letter to the Editor: TaxesAfter approving the multi-million new Aquatic Center, we are back to hearing the city needs more taxes. Why we are building an Aquatic Center to start with using tax payer dollars is beyond me. We will have to come up with additional funds to staff, maintain & other costs associated with it. “Because Clarksville has one”, does not fly with me as a reason for building one. If it were a sustainable, feasible plan, private enterprise would be bui...

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FOR THE COURIER / SubmittedThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Moving closer to autumnThe Arkansas River Valley received some much needed rain this week as other counties across the state were just starting to issue burn bans, and the dry conditions were definitely starting to worsen. August has always been a happening month for me as it means summer is winding down, and school is about to start. It also means that fall and the hunting seasons are quickly approaching. Fall is, without a doubt, my favorite time of the year. The ...

History Minute Maud CrawfordHer life was one of remarkable accomplishment in a time when women had few opportunities. However, the disappearance of Maud Robinson Crawford of Camden in 1957 overshadowed her accomplishments in life and has left many questions unanswered in the decades since. Maud Robinson was born in East Texas in 1891. After her mother’s death in 1900, she came to live with her grandmother in Warren. In 1911, she was valedictorian of her high school class...

Man guilty of assault gets life — in matrimonyAn East Texas man who pleaded guilty to assaulting his girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend was sentenced to life — in matrimony. Josten Bundy, 21, pleaded guilty on July 2 to assault with bodily injury for a February fistfight with the ex-boyfriend of Elizabeth Jaynes, 19. Bundy reported the ex was “saying disrespectful things” about Jaynes and admitted he eventually punched the ex in the jaw. Smith County Court-at-Law Judge Randall Rogers asked Bundy d...

Best times come when you’re just passing throughIt is funny how fate sometimes plays a huge role in people’s lives. We all have our day-to-day routines and usually know what to expect from one day to the next, but then all of sudden something out of the ordinary happens. Just this past week I had one of those vey experiences, and it turned out to be a couple of the best days of my whole summer break. This past Sunday it was too hot to be fishing, hunting or even playing golf, so I was hangi...

Coping with sin“There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 2:23). This recalls a time when I was having tea with the erudite philosopher Arthur Holmes. At which time I inquired whether he had recently authored a book. He replied in the affirmative, concerning ethics. When I asked if he could characterize the thrust of the text, he allowed: “Without God, there is none (ethics).” That is, there is no binding authority...

Letter to the Editor: City spendingI am shocked at recent actions of the Russellville City Council! First they think they know more about how to get business to Russellville than the Alliance, which is a public/private organization managed by professionals. During the past 15 years the Alliance is second only to Mississippi County in bringing jobs to its’ community (20,000 to 40,000 population). Now, they have decided that maybe they do need help, but pride will not let them go...

History Minute Matthew LyonMatthew Lyon lived a life that made him a witness to some of the most important events and figures of early American History. He was a veteran of the American Revolution, a pioneer, writer, and respected famous politician in an age that included such American giants as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison. And his journey would take him all the way to Arkansas. Lyon was born in Ireland in 1749 to a desperately poor family. At...

The apex of futilityLast year The New York Times ran a story about Michael Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York. It focused on his recent work on a number of social causes. The story itself was predictable, except for the following paragraph, which came at the very end. “But if he senses that he may not have as much time left as he would like, he has little doubt about what would await him at a Judgment Day. Pointing to his work on gun safety, obesity and smok...

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Rev. Nicholas DavelaarThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

History Minute Jacob TrieberFor Jacob Trieber, liberty was what made America great. As an immigrant, he fought to ensure that everyone could enjoy the blessings of his adopted home. And as a federal judge in Arkansas, he spent his career trying to make this a reality. Trieber was born in 1853 in southeastern Prussia, an area that is now Poland. He attended local schools until his family moved to America in 1866. His family eventually made it to Helena where they opened a...

Letter to the Editor: Taxed Enough AlreadyIt is disappointing, but not surprising, that the Russellville City Council is seriously considering a sales tax increase to balance its budget. The only other option expressed by the Council in The Courier article on July 19 was to issue a millage increase. Are Council members aware that budgets can be balanced by decreasing spending or keeping expenses at levels no exceeding income? Possible income shortfalls should be taken into account whe...

Letter to the Editor: Class of ‘65 welcomedThe Class of 1965 held their 50th Reunion this past weekend. I had the pleasure of joining these former students on Saturday afternoon for their tour of Russellville High School. We started at the Center for the Arts with Mr Randall Williams as our tour guide. Mr. Williams covered all of the physical plant as well as what went on in each area of RHS. He answered questions and covered all programs in detail. As I left the gathering I thought ho...

Letter to the Editor: Media Reporting - Chattanooga TragedyLike many Americans, I am angered and disgusted by the non-stop national media reporting and biographical videos about the terrorist who murdered five-Americans in Chattanooga. I refuse to even say his name. The networks and online media are non-stop with stories about his childhood and interviews with his friends and family. Videos of him and pictures depicting him as a ‘normal’ person. Time to call him what he is, a murderer. He deserves no ...

Weir RoadWhen Weir Road was taken into the city, we were promised city water an sewer. We have never gotten what was promised. It seems the city fathers does not want development in this area. They love to talk about jobs and revenue, but what are they doing to create new businesses? They talk about growth, but they do nothing to help and cause Weir Road to explode with new businesses. I am tired of waiting for you to do what you promised. Linda Miller...